Thank you for your interest in my tattoo studio. I have taken a considerable amount of time to write, in great detail, answers to many frequently asked questions. Please take your time to carefully read through and familiarize yourself with the information in this section. I’ve covered a lot, but If you don’t find an answer to a question you may have, feel free to email me and I will be happy respond, otherwise it’s probably answered here.
My private studio is located at 502 Adelaid St. North in London, Ontario, Canada. All tattoos and consultations are by appointment only. No walk-ins for any reason. If you would like to get tattooed or meet to discuss a tattoo idea please email me beforehand to set up an appointment
Parking is located at the side of the building. There is limited parking available for clients along the wall of the building (two nooks) in the lane way. Park fairly close to the wall if possible. Please allow enough room for traffic to flow between the buildings.
Additional parking is also located at the beer store right across Lorne Ave. Please make sure you to lock your vehicle and hide any valuables.
My studio is open by appointments only Monday to Friday from 10-4pm. ( I DO NOT tattoo on weekends, sorry for the inconvenience)
Each tattoo appointment starts at 10am and will usually go no later than 4pm unless absolutely necessary. If you are travelling from out of town and have a long commute (2 hours or more) I am willing to adjust the start time accordingly.
As much as I don’t feel like I need to justify my work schedule, my days and hours are set in such a way because:
I charge by the hour and my hourly rate is $190+hst. Pleas note that I only accept CASH as payment. All payments are due at the end of the session.
I feel that charging by the hour rather than by the piece is more honest to both the client and myself.
A 1-hour minimum will be charged for any tattoos that will take less than an hour. Although your tattoo may take 15 minutes and not the full hour, the materials and set up time for your small tattoo would be the same as if I set up for a 4-hour tattoo. As would the tear-down of my station, cleaning and disinfecting after your small tattoo.
I only accept CASH.
There’s no right or wrong answer for this question, just personal preference.
Tattooing is part of the service industry just like hair dressers, waiters or even mechanics. My answer is based on personal experience.
First, answer this question; did your tattoo artist exceed your expectations and is your new tattoo awesome?
If the answer is yes, than why not express your gratitude with a tip.
Some people tip every session, others tip when the tattoo is complete, while some people don’t tip at all which is perfectly fine.
Tattoos are fairly costly, and I don’t expect a tip, but I do appreciate when clients do.
Just remember, tips don’t have to be monetary! I am grateful for all my clients and I’ve received many different forms of gratuities such as thank you cards, cash, taxidermy, comic related merch, baked goods and great reviews on Google. I am very thankful for my clients taking the time to leave a positive review for Arturo Art on Google or by simply handing out business cards and receiving referral clients. As I said, tips are appreciated but not expected.
Regardless if you tip or not, I strive to do my very best for every tattoo I create!
You can leave your positive review HERE.
First of all, thank you for choosing me to do your tattoo for you!
No matter the size, complexity, subject matter or any other variable, I always do my best to ensure every tattoo that I create is my best work.
Your tattoo experience is of great importance to me, so I do my best to provide my clients with the most positive and memorable experience that I possibly can. Obviously getting a tattoo that exceeds your expectations is the goal, but I like to add to your tattoo experience by possibly providing a friendly conversation ( sometimes they’re very in-depth), offering free drinks while you get tattooed or by giving each client an aftercare package to ensure they take good care of their tattoo.
If there is anything that I can improve on or change to make your tattoo experience better, please send me an email and I would love to hear from you and discuss your thoughts.
No. All tattoos and consultations are strictly by appointment only.
You may bring one person to your appointment. More often then not, the person you will bring will get bored or may be distracting. If anyone is being loud or very distracting, they will be asked to leave. So please choose your support wisely.
I would prefer the appointment to be a one-on-one experience with the client and the artist, but in the instance where a support person is accompanying the client, I have created a space at the counter where they may sit out of the tattoo area but still offers the ability to interact with my client. I have gone through great lengths to create a work space that is quiet and comfortable for both my clients and myself, which allows for me to do my best work, so please respect my policy.
No and no. Please do not bring your child/children or pets to the appointment. No matter if they are a baby or an adolescent, children are very distracting and make it hard for me to work. Please make the proper arrangements to find child care while you are getting tattooed.
Keep all pets at home. Service animals are allowed but I ask that you give me prior notice. I also have a service dog which may sometimes be in the studio. If you have any allergies to dogs, please let me know before the appointment.
I travel quite a lot across Canada and do guest spots and conventions from East to West coast.
If you are looking to get tattooed while I’m in your area, please send me an email with your location and the description of the tattoo you would like to get done.
I will be posting my travel dates in my Newsletter and on my Instagram and Facebook feeds. I do so when I have confirmed travel arrangements and conventions, so please subscribe to my Social Media accounts and my mailing list for travel info.
Currently at this time, I am not taking on any apprentices.
All appointments are booked through my website HERE or by contacting the studio directly though email to arturoarttattoos@gmail.com . I get a lot of messages from clients on a daily basis and rather than having to go search all over the place to find our conversation, I restrict my correspondence to just emails.
I will not answer requests for appointments through facebook, Instagram, texts or any other form of communication other than email.
Please familiarize yourself with the information below before sending a request for an appointment.
I ask everyone to send me the following information:
– Example of good placement info: Left inner forearm and/or Center of upper back between shoulder blades.
– Example of bad placement info: top of arm and/or side of leg.
The “bad example” is still a lot shorter than what I’ve gotten from some clients but you can see how writing it in point form is a lot easier for me to decipher what is important and what you truly want in your tattoo. Having to go through a novel of information makes it complicated and takes up a lot of time. So please Keep it simple/ Keep it short.
My assistant Katlyn usually will get to your email withing 48hrs (excluding weekends). All urgent emails are replied to as quickly as possible. Please understand we receive quite a few emails daily and we reply to emails in the order they arrive. Katlyn very busy and also manages schedules for many other artists as well, so please be patient. Your email will not be ignored and all emails will be replied to. I have zero tolerance for impatience and rudeness from anyone that contacts the studio. If you are rude to Katlyn or myself, I assure you that you will not get an appointment.
To help quicken my response time to you, please keep emails brief and include all the info I need for your tattoo so we don’t have to go back and forth many times.
I do my best to accommodate everyone and every idea that I can but not every tattoo idea will get an appointment as I am focusing to tattoo within my own personal style and themes. There are a million different styles and trends in the tattoo industry and it changes all the time. It is impossible to keep up with every form of tattooing out there. So, if the work you are looking to get from me doesn’t look similar to the tattoos in my portfolio, then chances are I will pass on the idea. I will however reply to your email request even if I pass on your idea. It is important for me to be honest with clients regarding the tattoos I select so that they end up with the my best work. London is home to a lot of great tattoo artists that vary in style, and if I am not able to do the work for you, I will definitely point you in the direction of someone who may be better suited for the tattoo you are looking to get.
If you are requesting something similar to the recent work that I’ve posted, and you are open minded to my input and will allow me creative freedom to design a custom tattoo for you, then you are most likely going to get an appointment. However, if you are the type of person that is inflexible and needs total control over the design, color selection, etc., then I am not the artist for you.
Of course you can, although consultations are not always necessary. If the tattoo you are requesting is complex or I don’t fully grasp the concept based on the information you have provided me in an email, I will definitely schedule a consult if I feel it is imperative for your tattoo. If you are looking for an elaborate, complex or large tattoo such as a sleeve or back piece, I most likely will need to meet with you to discuss your ideas and to get measurements of your body to ensure your tattoo will be exactly what you want and so that it will fit perfectly on your body.
Everyone may have different reasons for wanting to do a consultation. If you want a consultation to just meet and greet in person, that’s quite alright with me. I have no problem meeting with you, and often it’s nice to put a face to a name especially since most communication is done through email.
I schedule consultations on Tuesday and Thursdays usually at 3:30 pm. I understand that not everyone can make it at that time, so I do try to accommodate your schedule whenever possible. Consultations are usually booked a few weeks in advance, so please get in touch as soon as possible.
Consultations are FREE.
Please bring me any info and photos you feel are necessary for me to understand your vision. Bring a data stick with images/ reference photos so that I can upload them to a folder I have made for you on my computer.
I usually like to take measurements and photos of the area that will be tattooed, so please wear the appropriate attire so that the skin in this area is visible and easy to take measurements of.
Absolutely! Everyone is required to pay a non-refundable deposit within 48 hours after I have confirmed a date for your tattoo. The deposit is insurance that you will show up for your appointment as well as it covers my drawing time in case you don’t show up for your appointment.
If you haven’t paid your deposit within 48 hours of confirmed appointment date, you will not be booked into my schedule for a tattoo.
A non-refundable deposit of $190 is to be paid by cash or email transfer (arturoarttattoos@gmail.com) within 48 hours of confirmed booking. Although the deposit is non-refundable, I do give every client a 10-day grace period from the time the deposit has been paid in case you need to cancel or have changed your mind. This will be the only time that a deposit may be refunded in full. After the 10 days, there are no refunds for any reason.
If you are booking for a large tattoo that will take multiple sessions such as sleeves or back pieces, I only require one deposit for all the sessions. If you cancel or don’t show up for any other existing appointment, I will require another deposit to continue on with your tattoo or all other appointments may all be cancelled.
I have made all efforts to describe to you my deposit policy in this FAQ section, and you have all the opportunity to ask any questions you may have before a deposit is made. There is no obligation to leave a deposit, but without putting down a deposit, an appointment will not be scheduled even if a date has been set for you. If you delay or forget to pay the deposit for you tattoo and someone else is interested in the same date as your appointment, priority will be given to the client which leaves a deposit first.
The deposit goes fully towards your tattoo! I don’t charge my clients for drawing their tattoos, so the deposit covers the time I spend searching for reference material and drawing your tattoo design in case you don’t show up. Sometimes it takes an hour to draw up a design, but sometimes it can take 15-20 hours for a full sleeve or back piece. The deposit is minimal compensation for investing so many hours into your design. Please read and fully understand my deposit policy prior to booking an appointment as they are non-refundable.
Any Appointment changes within 7 days prior to your appointment will incur a loss of deposit and another deposit will be required to make another booking. You are permitted one date change as long as you notify me in writing at least 7 days before your appointment date. For example, if your appointment date is February 14, you will need to notify me in writing before February 7th in order to transfer the deposit to the rescheduled date. Further appointment changes will incur a loss of deposit.
Please understand that if you cancel, need to reschedule last minute (7 days prior to your appointment) or just don’t show up, I am out a full day of work which isn’t fair to myself or anyone else wanting an appointment.
I have made all efforts to describe to you my deposit policy and you have all the opportunity to ask any questions you may have before a deposit is made. There is no obligation to leave a deposit, but without putting down a deposit, an appointment will not be scheduled even if a date has been set for you. If you delay or forget to pay the deposit for you tattoo and someone else is interested in the same date as your appointment, priority will be given to the client which leaves a deposit first.
If you know that you are running a couple minutes late (10-15 minutes) please give me a call 519-690-1419 and let me know that you are on your way.
If you will be 20 or more minutes late to your appointment, your appointment may be cancelled and your deposit will be forfeit or a charge for missed time will be added to the total of your tattoo.
Please give yourself enough time to get here. It is very easy to get a sense of how long it will take you to get here with Google Maps, then add 10-15 minutes to that time for unforeseen traffic or any pit stops you may have to make along the way.
We only have the allotted amount of time in one session and I would like to get as much time in as possible on your tattoo. I don’t want to be waiting around for a no-show or cancelled appointment.
I don’t have a “Cancellation List” but I do notify clients in the event of a cancellation or no-show appointment through my Newsletter found on the HOME PAGE. Signing up is simple and takes a few seconds.
An email will be sent out to all subscribers of my newsletter when I have a confirmed cancelled appointment. Chances are that I will get several replies to fill the spot. I will send out replies and require a non-refundable deposit of $140 to confirm the spot. A deposit is required so that I don’t end up with a second cancelled appointment and out a full day of work.
Here are a few suggestions to make your tattoo experience as good as possible.
The Do’s:
The Don’ts:
I don’t send out drawings before the appointment date. You will see the design the day of your appointment. Why you may ask, well it’s because most people lack creative vision. If I show you the line drawing (stencil), most people can’t envision anything beyond a bunch of lines and dots on a page. I know it may be very hard for some people to give full control to someone else, but you will have to trust me as your artist. After all, you came to me because you liked my artwork, right? So please give me some artistic freedom to create a custom tattoo for you. Also, I ask that you familiarize yourself with my portfolio so that you know the style and type of tattoos that I do. No matter if the tattoo is big or small, I always do my best to ensure you end up with a tattoo that is better than you could imagine. I have a lot of tattoos to draw for and I draw according to my schedule and don’t have enough time in my life to draw for appointments way down the road. So please don’t send me requests to see your tattoo design before your appointment. If you are not okay with my process, please refrain from booking an appointment.
At the time of your appointment it is possible to make a slight change to the design if time permits. If major changes are required, the appointment will be rescheduled and a new deposit will be required to fully redraw your design.
To insure you are going to be happy with the design and the best tattoo possible, please make sure you send me a detailed but concise email about your tattoo. Everything is outlined for you in this FAQ section as to what info I need from you. I fully understand that the tattoo you are looking to get may have a lot of meaning attached to it, but sending me a novel makes it hard for me to figure out the important things you want to represent in your tattoo. So please insure it is in point form listing the most important to least important imagery in the tattoo you want.
Please refer to the appointments section above to familiarize yourself with the requirements I ask when booking your tattoo appointment.
Take a look at my portfolio and you can see what I like to tattoo and the style that I work in. To make it very clear, I love to create tattoos related to nature (flowers, animals etc.), superheroes and horror imagery. Pretty much if it’s comic art, nature, dead and colorful I will most likely want to tattoo it. I work in full color and mostly do mid-to-large scale tattoos, but I am not opposed to doing smaller pieces if they align with what I like to tattoo.
I work within my very own illustrative, neo-traditional and realistic style. (please refer to portfolio images).
The amount your tattoo will cost and the time it will take to do your tattoo are both a very rough estimate. As I mentioned, I can’t predict how your body will react to getting tattooed which can change the amount of time it takes… which ultimately alters the cost of the tattoo. Most of the time an price quote is based on your proposed idea or concept as well as a rough size that you want it to be, and not the final drawing I create. Also adding last minute things to your tattoo design and/or making the design more detailed can also change the price. If you have a realistic budget in mind, I do the best I can to stick to it. Please keep in mind that I pride myself to create the best tattoo I can for you and I will never rush to finish the tattoo and compromise the quality.
This depends on the size, color, intricacy, location of the design and how your body reacts to getting tattooed.
I do my best to give every client as best of an estimate possible on how long the tattoo will take. I can’t however predict how you or your skin will react to the tattoo process, how much your body will swell or bleed or how many breaks you take etc. Also, where you choose to place your tattoo also changes the length of time it can take. Every individual is completely different and so is tattooing them, so even though I do my best to predict a time frame for your tattoo, it is possible that I may be off my estimate. This is more so for larger pieces, sleeves, full back and torso pieces and rib tattoos and leg sleeves.
Usually appointments are no longer than 4 hours per session unless I am close to finishing the tattoo then I may go over.
If you are booked in for the day then you can expect to be here at least 4 pm.
Tattooing has many variables so please give yourself plenty of time and refrain from booking any other engagements on the day of your appointment. Please note that If you are booked in for the full day and you’ve made other plans which shortens our session, you may be charged for the full day.
This is a tough question to answer. Like every other tattoo, there are a lot of variables to consider which change for every individual. As well a sleeve on a person with larger arms may take longer due to a greater surface area, or more detail in a sleeve can make it take longer as well. It usually takes about 10 sessions that are about 4 hours long each. The first lining session may take longer due to the fact that I like to finish all the lining of a sleeve in one session if possible, to avoid having to re-stencil the tattoo. The first session can take up to 6-7 hours if there is a lot of lining. Each appointment is scheduled roughly 3-5 weeks apart so that the tattoo has plenty of time to heal properly. I ask that my clients book in on monthly or bi-monthly basis and are committed to completing their sleeve, as it is my goal to try to finish a sleeve or large piece within a year time frame so that everything heals uniformly. I understand that this is a big commitment and may be a challenge financially, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have before you book the necessary appointments for you sleeve.
Yes! I love comic art and I’m a bit of a comic nerd myself. I will tattoo images from comic artist as well as create my own version of the superhero you are looking to get. I have a lot of superhero comic pieces on the go and would love to keep adding to my portfolio. So send me your ideas and I will be thrilled to tattoo comic related art for you.
I am no longer taking on traditional black and grey projects (diluted pigment) but I do create opaque black and grey tattoos using grey pigment ink. The black and grey tattoos in my portfolio will be in opaque inks if you are wondering what it looks like.
This question can’t be answered with a simple yes or no, rather each cover up tattoo is decided on an individual basis. I will only agree to do a cover-up tattoo for you if I feel that I am confident with the outcome. In order for me to consider doing a cover up for you, I will need to see the existing tattoo in person. As well, it is necessary to do a consultation with you to figure out what you are wanting to cover up the old tattoo with, take photos, tracing and measurements of the old tattoo you want covered.
Here are the criteria that I look for when doing a cover up
After all, I’m doing you a favor to cover up something that you don’t want. Over the course of my entire career I’ve done hundreds of cover up tattoos. It is important to understand that cover-ups are basically and illusion, meaning that they are meant to trick the eye to focus on other areas rather than the specific site of the old tattoo. A cover-up tattoo that will be successful is quite challenging to design for any artist because we have to work extremely hard to envision a design that will work with the dark and light spaces of the existing tattoo. Keep in mind that there will be lots of darker colors in the new tattoo so you need to give me some flexibility to create a tattoo that I feel will work best. You can’t simply tattoo over the old piece with any color you want. the old tattoo will show through the new one after is has healed. As well, it is important to understand that the new tattoo may be a least two or three times the size of the old tattoo to be successful. I may suggest to get your old tattoo lightened by a laser technician which I can point you in the direction of a very good one (this I know from personal experience and great results). Not every old tattoo will need to be removed or at least lightened to get covered up, but with extreme cases it is necessary. I know my limitations of what I can and can’t do for a cover up, so If you are not flexible or not willing to take my advice, I will pass on the opportunity. I will however work with the ideas you have for a cover up with great effort. I don’t just draw whatever I want, but rather tailor your ideas with my creative vision to create a design that I feel will work as best as possible.
If you are open minded about the design and size, I am far more likely to help you out.
Please understand that we are artists and no photocopiers. As well, I don’t tattoo any other artists work no matter how much you want it. The reason being is that the tattoo you saw online had been designed specifically for their client. Just as I would not like to see one of my clients tattoos ever replicated.
I create custom tattoos for each individual and will not tattoo something twice unless it was meant to like one of my flash pieces and the client knows this information. I do however encourage you to send me photos of ideas that interest you as references for you piece but without the intention of copying the images you send.
I want to give you a tattoo that is totally custom for you.
No. If you don’t have an appointment booked and have not put down a deposit, I will not draw a tattoo design for you. I have a lot of other tattoos to draw for and don’t want to waste my time.
Although I don’t recommend that you use numbing cream, you are fully responsible for any aftercare issues that you may have as a result of using numbing cream. If you are using numbing cream, it will need to be on for at least an hour to be effective. I will be prepping the surface before I stencil and tattoo the area with rubbing alcohol, so this will wipe off the numbing cream which does decrease the effectiveness of the cream. It is absolutely necessary to prep the skin in order to reduce any chance of infection as well it helps to adhere the stencil to the skin properly. Numbing cream is better suited for ongoing tattoos what don’t require a stencil to be applied.
Numbing cream application instructions:
Since my early childhood, I have always had an interest in art and learned many skills from my Mother who is an artist. I have been formally trained as an artist and have completed an Honors Bachelor of Fine Art degree as well as a Bachelor of Education degree to teach art at the Intermediate/Senior level from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. I also hold a Master’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Calgary.
My tattoo training comes from a 2-year apprenticeship at a well-established tattoo studio in Thunder Bay (Underground Ink), under the supervision of two very skilled artists, Chad and Fenton Gilbert.
I have certificates for Blood Borne Pathogens education and training.
I have been tattooing since 2006 and have traveled extensively across Canada to tattoo. After finishing my Master’s Degree in 2013, I relocated to London from Calgary. I took my time to build a tattoo space that I felt very excited to work in, and opened my studio here in London, Ontario in the fall of 2015.
Absolutely! Annual inspections are made by the Health Unit as required. Since its doors opened, my studio has passed all inspections. It is of upmost importance to adhere to all standards set by our Health Unit. The safety of my clients and myself is a high priority and I have made all efforts to create a clean and safe space that goes beyond industry standards.
Yes! I use all new disposable needles and cartridges for each person getting tattooed. Even if the cartridge is on my station and doesn’t get used, it will be disposed of. No needle will ever get reused for any circumstance. All poured ink is disposed of and will never be reused. To keep the tattoo process as clean and a-septic as possible, I use all disposable supplies that are discarded after every appointment. My studio is meticulously cleaned before and after every tattoo, and all surfaces are disinfected beyond health code standards.
Congratulations on the new bundle of joy, but unfortunately I will not tattoo you if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. No matter how much research you have done or how strong your personal beliefs or opinions are on the subject, tattoos are not a necessary procedure while you are pregnant or breast feeding and can wait for the sake of your and your baby’s health. Getting tattooed can put you and your baby at risk due to stress on the body which can possibly lead to premature labor, decrease in breast milk production and even compromise the immune system. I do not feel comfortable putting you or your baby at risk and I hope you fully feel the same
Always consult your physician before you consider getting a tattoo. For insurance reasons, I require a note from your doctor stating there are no concerns with you getting a tattoo.
I do not perform tattoos for anyone with a communicable disease such as but not limited to HIV/Aids, Hepatitis, MSRA, etc.
16 is the minimum age with parental consent. If you are between the ages of 16 and 18 and want to get tattooed, you will need to bring some form of valid photo ID (health card, drivers licence, student card).
As well, your parent/guardian will be required to come to the appointment with valid photo ID/documentation to sign for you. They do not have stay for the whole appointment, but they do need to be there in person to sign for you at the beginning.
I don’t post every tattoo that I do and It is never because I am not proud of the tattoo that I have done for you. It may simply be that it’s not similar to the work I have posted recently, and I am trying to create a cohesive portfolio. It may be possible that the photo I took was crap and I didn’t feel it did the tattoo any justice. Sometimes I just don’t have time and forgot. So please don’t get upset if I don’t post your tattoo, it’s nothing personal.
Please click HERE to find my after-care instructions. Please be advised that my instructions are intended for my own clients as I have created my after-care instructions over the past 10 years and have found a procedure that works with my tattoo process and the products that I use. If your tattoo is done by someone other than me, your tattoo artist may recommend something different.
Please contact me as soon as possible! How your tattoo heals is of great concern for me. Although healing issues are not common when my after-care instructions are properly followed, in the odd chance you are having any problems, please email me or phone me right away. I may be able to give you some advice to help your tattoo heal well. Although infection is rare, always consult a physician in the event of any signs of infection.
Following my after-care instructions properly can ensure that your tattoo will heal with success.
If you have a fresh tattoo it is imperative that you avoid baths, hot-tubs, pools, lakes, rivers and ponds, tanning beds, dirty sports equipment, direct contact with animals and any other cesspools of bacteria. Don’t expose your tattoo at the beach, at a bar or anywhere that it may get in contact with something dirty. If your animals sleep in your bed, please change your sheets. Use only clean towels to dry off your tattoo. If at all you question if something is dirty in any sense, keep your tattoo away from it!
Please refer to my after-care instructions that can be found here. I highly recommend for my clients to use Weber Vitamin E cream found in the red/white tube which contains 12500 IU of vitamin E. This cream can be purchased in the first aid section at a pharmacy.
After your tattoo has healed, I highly recommend Wellskin Glaxal Base moisturizing cream with Vitamin E which is hypoallergenic and perfume free. Moisturizing your tattoo daily will prolong the vibrancy of your tattoo. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the Webber Cream, I would suggest to substitute with Glaxal Base cream instead.
